Former Vice President Joe Biden boasts a significant lead in support over two top Democratic 2020 presidential opponents, a new Emerson poll published Tuesday shows.

According to the survey, 33 percent of likely Democratic voters said they support Biden, which puts him 13 points ahead of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), who holds 20 percent backing.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) placed third in the poll with 14 percent backing. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-California) dropped 4 points since Emerson’s previous poll to 11 percent support to finish fourth in the new survey.

A separate poll by Morning Consult also determined Biden holds 33 percent support, while Sanders was second with 18 percent backing and Warren finished third with 13 percent support.

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SLIDESHOW: TOP DEMOCRATS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT IN 2020

Biden was widely seen as having delivered a very tepid performance in the first-round debates last month, when Harris confronted him on his record on issues regarding race relations and civil rights. Biden has also been recently criticized over the amount of wealth he has amassed since leaving the White House in 2017.

The former vice president will take the stage on Wednesday night in Detroit for the second evening of second-round debates among 2020 Democratic presidential candidates. Biden will face off against nine other candidates, including Harris, Sen. Cory Booker (D-New Jersey), Washington Gov. Jay Insleebusinessman Andrew Yang and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro. 

The Emerson poll surveyed 520 Democratic primary voters this week, with a margin of error of 4.2 points.

This week, President Donald Trump told reporters he believes Biden will become the 2020 Democratic nominee, and reiterated his nickname of “Sleepy Joe” for the former senator and Vice President.

“I feel he’ll limp across the line,” Trump said of Biden.

The president also said in a tweet he believed Sanders will be one of the top finalists for the Democratic nomination in 2020.

 

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